Ploy
by Ravenous Lust
Summary: Keiichi was sent to kill Deidara, but her mission backfired and now she's been captured by the Akatsuki. In the time she spends with them, she learns something startling, but also, something she never thought could happen. DeidaraxOC
1. Chapter 1

This wasn't how the mission was supposed to be executed. Get in, kill the target, get out, and go home. Simple enough, but the plan was obviously flawed. For instance, I would've known to prepare better had my boss told me the artisan was carrying two kilograms of bombing clay. Or had I known his partner was in the general vicinity, and would become his backup. Had I known he was an S-Rank criminal, I certainly wouldn't have wasted my chakra because he'd found me out, attempting to assassinate him from behind, not too stealthily either. Here's a good one: I wouldn't have face planted when I saw him, if I had known he was _that_ good looking.

Most importantly, had I known just how good he was, I wouldn't have been caught so easily, letting my guard down, thinking he was an easy target. However, nothing went as planned, and I'm really the only one to blame. Rao told Izai I wasn't ready, but the guy put me in the field anyway, apparently a big mistake.

I'm bet Izai thinks just like I do, that just because Rao's an old fart, it doesn't mean he knows what's best. Of course, I'm always hearing Izai and I are a lot alike, and to say that we think alike wouldn't be too far off.

_Thump, thump, thump. Clack…Click._ Someone's entering the room.

I can't see them; they blindfolded me as soon as they captured me, letting my blood trait go to waste. But it doesn't matter, because I know how many there are: two. Shallow breathing, sort of raspy. The other's breathing was heavy, nearly growling under his breath, but fairly quiet nonetheless.

* * *

They're here to interrogate me, I'm sure. But you see, they really don't need to. I don't know anything, but they'll never believe me. I'm a ninja, capable of fighting, certainly capable of lying. That's what they'll think, but it's true. The protocol for my company is, there's a client, sure, but you never meet them, so even if you are captured, you can't give away anything about them, because you don't even know who they are. The company's the same. No name, no face, just jobs. They're not all assassinations, no, but they're the dirty jobs, the one know one wants to do, the ones nobody else can do.

_Rustle. _I hear rustling of fabric, and than a sound of fire being started. _Hiss._ A lighter. A faint hissing sound, and then an intake of breath. _Exhale. _One of them is smoking? I chuckle, because it's rather amusing. Even on the job, whoever it is seems rather lax.

_Grind. Suck. _I replay those noises, which is it? Disgust, or are they finding this just as amusing as I am?

I contemplate asking them for drag, it's been a couple weeks since I've had one, but I haven't kicked the craving yet. Ha, would they give it to me? Doubt it. These guys don't seem _that_ lax about their job. _Tap, tap, tap._

I hear one of them reach forward, and they clasp the metal cuff that's currently over my left wrist, and shake it a bit. They do the same with the right, but they still don't talk.

I can't tell if it the one that just grabbed the cuffs, but someone grabs my chin, and tilts my head upwards. I don't fight it. That's something they tell you: don't fight. Even if you want to, it's only going get you hurt, or worse. Tell them everything, do what they say. It goes against everything you've been raised to do, but you have to.

The man let's go of me (the hands were rough, even for a ninja.) The same hand replaces itself atop me head, and ruffles my hair. What the hell? Is this some joke?

_Chuckle, chuckle. _"She's a cutie alright." _Inhale, and huff. _"Doesn't fight much either." The guy who's been smoking has been examining me. What's the other guy doing? Observing? Am I going to be sold to the smoker? I'm going to be their whore.

"Mm, Sasori said she was quite the fighter when she tried to assassinate Blondie. Where do you think all the fire's gone now?" _Low grumble._ The men's conversation seems one-sided. _Tongue-click_. "… She's tense." Damn.

"Hey, say something… You're not mute are ya?" My lips twitch, pulling upward slightly. I should be scared, but I can't help it. I lower my head, and a start laughing. Not insanely, but whole hearted laughter.

"No, I'm not mute… You mind if I have a drag? I've been dying for one." _Snort. _"Yeah, sure." The fag is held to my lips, and I suck._ Sharp exhale._

"I like this kid." His head turns towards the other male, probably. "Leader wants you under observation for the next couple of days, but if you meet our standards, we might let you out early. Fucking prison sentence, if you ask me."_ Sniff. _"Whatever. You tried killing Deidara. But you also _failed_ at it, so you obviously don't pose a threat. He isn't exactly our secret weapon, if you know what I'm saying." I snort now, because it sounded like he just insulted "Blondie".

Without a word of goodbye, the smoker left the room, leaving me alone with Mr. Silent. I don't know his name, so I shall call him Mr. Silent.

"I'll be taking my leave. But before I do, I'll inform you, meals will be served at 7 AM, noon, and 6 PM. The food here isn't cuisine, but I have a feeling it won't matter. You'll be receiving two bottles of water every 3 hours, drink all of it." _Brush, brush. Click. Jingle, snap. SLAM! _

After he finished, he left me, alone to my own devices. Actually, my _lack_ of devices. I turned my wrists to get a good feel of how much chain I had, and I'm pleased to say it was actually very much. Two feet or so: which was more than enough room to be able to go to the bathroom and eat. I reached towards my eyes, to pull the blind-fold off, and activated my aforementioned blood trait, giving me the ability to see my surroundings.

My cell was about 8' in height, length, and width. Certainly an interrogation cell if I ever saw one. There was a cot to the right of me, in the back of the cell, and a toilet on the opposite side. A change of clothes was lying on my bed, and two water bottles lay beside it. From what I could tell, the toilet was pretty clean. Next to where I was sitting on the concrete floor, was a pair of shoe covers, though I'm sure, since I wasn't wearing any shoes, I was supposed to wear them as is.

I wasn't wearing my job outfit anymore either, instead I was wearing a large black T-shirt, which hung just below my butt, and was nearly falling off my shoulders. How come I hadn't noticed before? Because the chair was covered in cloth, wasn't it? I let my hand graze the smooth fabric of the chair, before standing up, and moving it to bottom end of the cot. I sighed, and decided to sleep.

The water.

I forgot what he said just a few minutes ago. _"Drink all of it." _Did they drug me? Is the water drugged? Should I really drink it, if I think it's drugged? **Comply**. I lifted a water bottle, and opened it, licking my lips before bringing it to my mouth. With uncertainty, I took a sip, but it tasted fine. I knew it didn't mean it was, but I also knew if I didn't I'd be answering to one of them, so I took a large drink, and then guzzled the rest. Though, thinking about it now, I shouldn't have guzzled it. Because now my stomach hurts…

I layed down, and patted my stomach, until I burped. Better.

I wanted to fall asleep, so everything would go faster, but my mind was racing. Everything they did brought a new question up. Why didn't they kill me? Why am I here? Where am I? What do they want with me? Why are they treating me so nicely? I'm a hostage, aren't I? An assassin that tried to kill one of their members, so why didn't they just kill me?

Who was that guy?

My whole body ached; my mind had only just now registered that. My eyes started to burn as well, chakra having already been nearly depleted; my eyes were straining to see now. I shut them, and concentrated on sleep.

My mind became foggy as I drifted into a state of rest, and I wasn't sure if it was drug induced or what, but I knew I'd wake up feeling better than right now.

* * *

Five men gathered in a dark room, one was sitting; another had their upper half laying over the couch, which the other guy was sitting on; one leaned against the wall; and the other two stood.

"We need to figure out where that girl came from. If she was sent from Konohagakure, it might be an infiltration, rather than a botched assassination." The man who said this had wild black hair and piercing red eyes, and was looking towards the orange-haired man. He shook his head.

"From what Hidan and Kakuzu have examined, even if she was from Konohagakure, she's not Anbu Special Ops, so it's not likely they'd have sent her when they have plenty capable ninja, plenty more capable than her." Leader nodded, and dismissed them. He'd need to find out more.

A platinum blonde huffed, and buried his face.

"She'd be a real good sacrifice too…" A masked scowled, and hit him over the head.

"Nobody said we're keeping that wench." The blonde laughed so hard he fell off the back of the couch and landed on his bum, but still continued to laugh. The other four turned and watched in feign amusement as he laughed uproariously. He wiped the tears that I had formed at the corners of his eyes, and lifted himself up. That's what he was hoping for. A nice, little, virgin sacrifice.

"Hidan. She's under observation, and if anyone gets her, it's not going to be you. If you haven't remembered, Zetsu hasn't been fed in weeks. He's getting a little testy." Hidan scoffed. "So I'll give him the remains. As it is, I haven't prayed to Jashin in a month. You know how pissed my Lord is gonna be?" He received a punch in the gut, and a stabbing to the arm for that, slicing the vein efficiently. "Ah… Fuck you, Kakuzu!"

He clutched his bleeding arm, and glared at his partner for inflicting his wound. Kakuzu didn't even so much as blink. He stared for a few more moments, until he started feeling dizzy from blood loss. He passed out around three minutes later, and Kakuzu picked him up, and carried him to the infirmary, one of the few sterilized rooms in the base.

He stopped, and called over his shoulder, "While I monitor this moron, somebody else needs to observe the wench." He never call anybody by his or her real name. This guy gives them names he'll remember, because he'd like to think they're not important.

"Tomorrow" A venus fly-trap looking man spoke up, "**We don't get to fucking eat, do we**?" He growled in frustration, while his nails left indentations in his hand the harder he fisted his hands.

"No. I suppose you don't. I don't believe **he**'s going to let you." The orange haired man rubbed his face with the palm of his hand, and sighed. 'Not _her_', he thought.

He melted into the floor, leaving the orange haired man to himself. He let his face rest in his hands, and rubbed his eyes, momentarily letting them circle his piercings. Her of all people?

Why.... Why _HER_?


	2. Chapter 2

Awakening, she stretched her arms as far as the chain would allow her to, then mussed up her dark brown hair. She looked towards where the door was, but in the darkness she couldn't even make out an outline. She quickly activated her blood trait, and just as quickly turned it off. No point in wasting chakra at this time.

She stood up, and paced, minding where she put the chair. The smoker hadn't returned in a while, but that didn't really mean anything. She hadn't noticed the first time around, but she tried to remember the room as she with her trait activated. There were water bottles. Had she really slept that long?

"Can I even train like this?" She asked, to no one in particular. She gripped the chain in each hand, and tugged them as far apart as she could, straining her wrists as she did so. "I didn't think so…" She chuckled. "Probably would break the chain… Or my wrists." She wondered for a small while if they had reinforced the chain with chakra, or if it was made especially for dealing with ninjas in the first place.

She sat back on her bed, and chewed the nails on her right hand, absentmindedly. She retracted her hand once she realized what she was doing, and pulled at the hem of her shirt. Frantically, she pulled her shirt up slightly, and peered under. "Oh God. What a scare." _'Underwear: check.'_

Normally she wouldn't voice her opinions, or talk much, but she was apprehensive about this whole situation, and it was starting to affect her. The normally calm, quiet ninja was starting to freak out. The same questions were running through her head, not allowing her mind to ease even a bit. Had Rao and the higher-ups of the company been notified about her abduction? No, of course not. She had had to travel quite a distance from Sunagakure, which would require at least a couple days to and back. If she were lucky they'd be notified within two days or so, though by then, she could be dead for all they knew.

Suddenly, lights had flooded the room, blinding her. She didn't panic, but instead sat stiffly on the bed. Was someone coming in? She hadn't heard anything before the lights had burned her eyes into the back of her sockets.

The door was unlocked, and ajar, and near it stood a dark figure in a red and black cloak. Long brown-black hair disappeared under the cloak, but she couldn't make out a face.

Lights dimmed as the mysterious person closed the door, revealing a familiar face to her. Konohagakure's very own Itachi Uchiha. The door was shut completely, and both blood traits were activated. She soon flung herself at him, managing to bring the chain over his head, and locking her arms around him. He slowly brought his arms up, not sure about this situation, and wrapped them around her mid-section. The girl smiled against his shoulder, and squeezed tighter, before releasing him, and grinning like an idiot.

"I wasn't sure I'd see you again after—"She shook her head, "It's been a while. How come you never wrote me?" He bowed his head, facial features unmoving. A hand rested on his shoulder, her grin broke, and faded into a sweet smile. "Um… It's okay though. I've heard rumors about you over the years." Itachi looked up again, and closed his eyes. He deactivated his Sharingan, and looked her dead in the eye. "I only live for you and Sasuke." She laughed, and shook her head.

"That's not what I meant at all. I meant to say that I wasn't worrying too much about you, if you were wondering. I heard rumors you were alive." He nodded, understanding now. She'd only meant about his well-being, nothing more. He should've known, that she'd always been quite worrisome when it came to people close to her. Always put close ones ahead of herself.

"Have you heard from Sasu-chan?" His expression almost changed at her pet name for him, but he kept it in check. He replied, "No. We're not exactly on speaking terms." She laughed outright at that comment, because that's what you do when an Uchiha cracks a joke. You don't question it, you just laugh. "Mm… Do you think he'll like me?" He shrugged, eyebrows rising slightly.

She chewed her bottom lip, but before she had the chance to say anything Itachi started, "Kei, don't worry. You are safe here, do you understand? Leader won't do anything to you now that he knows who you are. Though, he was very displeased to hear about you." She nodded briskly, and swallowed trying to sooth her drying throat.

"The uh… The smoker, what's his name?" She asked. She wanted to know who was checking on her from now until whenever they released her. He inhaled, before responding. "Hidan." Kei faced the floor, licking her lips.

Hidan? The name sounded so familiar, she knew the answer was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't quite yet figure it out. She shook her head, and asked another question, "Who's the other guy?" Quickly he answered, "Kakuzu." She knew this place now, and could now place a face with that name.

A sudden chill swept over her, and she flung herself at Itachi, letting his warmth soak into her. "Ma, Itachi? I can have my clothes back, right?" There was slight pause, and his eyebrows furrowed. "No." She pulled away from him, and looked on at him with feign horror. "Ita-chan plans to watch me walk around only wearing a shirt?" He didn't know how to respond to that.

"Ita-chan knows that even though I love him, it doesn't mean I'm into incest, doesn't he?" A pink hue was threatening to cover his face, but he answered calmly, "Your clothes were destroyed during your fight with Deidara and Sasori." She smirked, knowing just how annoyed and embarrassed he was about that comment, but didn't continue with it.

"Hida-san… When's he coming back?" Itachi patted her head, and shook his head. "Go to sleep. Your body needs to recover." Kei pouted, unhappy with his avoidance of her question.

* * *

"Has she… Been asking questions?" The orange haired man asked. Itachi nodded, sitting on the couch, next to him. They'd kept her for around 14 hours, and most of that time she had been asleep, recovering from the intense battle. Sasori had managed to hit her with a needle coated with a fairly deadly poison. Once they had recognized her as an Uchiha, due to a very apparent Sharingan that had evolved into the next stage when she had been poisoned, they had forged an antidote and immediately brought her to the base, intent on bringing her to full health, less they be slaughtered by Itachi.

"None relevant. She wanted to know who had been in the cell with her. As well as—" He cut himself off, feeling more than slightly embarrassed she'd even suggested such an occurrence might take place. "As well as?" The man pushed, but was ignored by Itachi.

"I told her their names, and it seems she had known who they were. She also was wondering about her clothes." The man seemed distraught. If she were a spy, regardless of genetic background, would she be trustworthy?

"I see. But you seem to be withholding something, Uchiha… Itachi. I suppose now that she's around I can't be referring to you as Uchiha, as it would cause confusion, I'm sure. Anyway, do tell." Itachi simply turned and walked away. The man grumbled. He was sure it had to be good, and was disappointed he wasn't indulged.

* * *

Hidan sat up, holding his head, and then his arm, feeling a throbbing and stinging pain. How long was he out for? He looked at the clock and it had been around 4 hours. He cursed that ugly old bastard for making him bleed half to death. When he was about to take it out on him, he saw that Kakuzu was nowhere to be found, and huffed. Damn his luck.

"I gotta go to her fucking cell… Fuck!" As he stood, a wave of dizziness washed over him, and it made his knees buckle.

The aforementioned ugly old bastard walked into the room. He glanced at the flustered man, and scoffed. "You're disgusting, clean up." Knowing this would happen though; he prepared and brought an extra pair of clothing. Hidan thought he should mess with him, just for the hell of it.

"Oh yeah? It's not like you didn't fucking know it was going to happen. Yet, you still fucking did it." A smirk played on his face, trying to tempt Kakuzu. "It's because you get off on trying to kill, am I right?" He earned a face to the face, resulting in a split lip and swelling cheek.

"Listen you brat, if I didn't put you in your fucking place every once in a while… It wouldn't be pretty, now would it?" He grinned, and proclaimed, "Whatever. You're just saying that because you _like_ me." He received another punch to his gut. Hidan lunged forward and bit the junction between Kakuzu's neck and shoulder. Blood flowed from the wound, and Hidan watched, bewitched by the crimson liquid.

"I'm _tired_. I fucking lost a lot of blood." Kakuzu snorted. "Any another way and you miraculously have enough energy to _complain_ about it." Once the blood stopped flowing so harshly, Hidan retracted his head, and smirked triumphantly at him. Kakuzu shoved him off of him, and threw his clothes at him. To say Hidan was pissed was an understatement.

After he got dressed, he turned towards Kakuzu, and told him, "You fucking _suck_." Kakuzu chucked a large medical book at him, but Hidan managed to shut the door before he was hit with it.

* * *

Deidara sifted through piles of paper, trying to find just one last detonating parcel. So far, he wasn't having very good luck. Sasori watched, as the blonde blew up in a huff, and fell backwards due to some stacks of books. "Pick those up once you're done messing around. I don't want my books bent just because a brat decided to throw a tantrum." Deidara glowered, and crossed his arms. "I am not throwing a tantrum, hmph!" This however was counterproductive in his effort.

Sasori started tapping on his desk, teeth scraping as an irate blonde distracted him yet again while he was working on his puppet.

"God damn!" Deidara looked up startled as Sasori glared at him. He paled, and was quieter for the rest of the time he was in the room.

* * *

Two men entered Keiichi's cell, neither seemed very happy. The masked man, Kakuzu, was in a notably bad mood, and the blonde seemed to be pouting, an expression that didn't suit the Jashin worshipper.

Keiichi's nose scrunched up, and then she giggled. The distinct smell of blood wafting from both of the men amused her greatly, and she let it erupt from her as the younger man tilted his head in confusion.

"You two were fighting?" Maybe it was because of earlier, but she kneeled on the bed, pulling her shirt's hem over her knees, vaguely aware of her current state on undress. Her dark brown locks of hair were cascading over her shoulders, becoming ratted as her confinement went on. Nearly unnatural paleness had set in her skin, from lack of sun exposure.

With her blood trait activated again, she saw the blonde's left eye twitch at the corner, while the brunette clenched his fist, she took this as indication that they, in fact, had.

"You seem uncomfortable." No question, just a statement from Kakuzu. She noticed how the mask barely moved as he talked, but she could see the outlines of his lips, bringing detail to the otherwise plain cloth. Keiichi nodded stiffly, and adjusted the hem of her shirt.

Suddenly, Hidan started searching his cloak, and pulled out a pair of green and black plaid boxer shorts. He threw them to her, but growled, as she made no attempt to pick them up. "Put them on." She shook her head, and blushed. Even if they had seen her before, she still didn't want them to see her now. The smoker stalked to the bed, picked them up, and shoved them in her face. "Put. Them. On." With one hand, she reached up and tugged them out of his hand, and glared at him.

"Go away first." The blush spread steadily across her face, and she puffed her cheeks up to show she wasn't messing around, but it only made her look childish. Hidan was about to react to that, but Kakuzu had grabbed his arm, and said, "We can let her dress in peace." He pulled him out of the room, and they let her change. When she was finished, she called out, "I put them on!" Moments later the lights started coming on, so she switched her Sharingan off, and sat, knees in front of her, down on her bed once more.

The ceiling hung low over the men, making them seem even more imposing.

"Uchiha Keiichi?" She wasn't sure who had said that, but she didn't care. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat suddenly went dry. "Y-yes?" She managed to croak out.

"Uchiha Itachi has requested you be released, and remain in captivity in his quarters." Leave it to her brother to request something like that. The shackles were immediately released, following the dark-skinned man's statement. "You pose no threat to us, however, you are to remain with Itachi at all times." Keiichi momentarily wondered if she should ask if that meant even when either was using the facilities. She decided she wanted her limbs.

"He's waiting for you outside. You should be fucking thankful you have a brother like that." She felt sorry for Hidan, but realized quickly what he said was only the truth, nothing more.

As she left the room, she felt warm hands close around her forearms, and smiled. She didn't see him there, but she was happy to be with him again, especially after only a short period of time. With her eyes closed, and lurched forward, and glomped him.

She didn't however notice that this Uchiha, which she was hugging, had short hair, and a mask on.

"Mm, I love you." The blonde wondered if he should say something, but decided not to; instead he let his amusement take the best of him.

"Well… Uh… Tobi doesn't really know who you are… So to say I love you back would be a little weird…" She looked up, and turned as red as an apple.

"You—You're not Itachi…" Tobi shook his head, and laughed. "Of course not!" Tobi was hugging her though, and she could only look up from his arms, red-faced, and slightly confused. The man wouldn't let her go, and when she tried escaping her grasp; her face was smashed into his chest, black and red fabric smothering her.

"You're so cute!" She felt herself being spun around, in a way that a father would spin their child in the air.

"And you are…?" The man giggled, and replied, "Tobi! I'm a relative!" She quirked an eyebrow, wanting to ask '_just how is that possible, if Itachi killed off the clan_?' She didn't, keeping another thought locked in her head.

After all these years, why hadn't she heard about him? What about from him? If this man was an Uchiha like he claimed he was, what did that mean?

She suddenly felt a dizzy spell wash over her, and barely felt anything as the supposed Uchiha caught her before she hit the ground. Her hearing was washed out, but she heard him yelling to someone, before everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

The lights were dim, but present, washing out color in all surrounding objects. The room itself was cold, and smelled like antiseptic and cleaning supplies, two smells that were a little hard to discern from each other. Medical equipment lay in clear, sealed, plastic bags on a spotless white counter. It looked like an even more pristine doctor's office.

Keiichi was laying on a somewhat hard cot, to the left of the entrance, a monitor beeping in rhythm with her heartbeat, and an IV drip next to her bed. She was flushed, and sweaty, breathing with difficulty. The poison had not completely left her body.

"It shouldn't have brought her into this state. I told if she drank all that water she'd be perfectly fine. The antidote causes severe dehydration, the water was to counter it." Sasori grumbled, brown eyebrows furrowing. Itachi sighed, and closed his eyes. Keiichi's health had been a problem for the first two hours of her stay, but after that she had seemed fine. They'd kept her on an IV drip and sedated for the following three hours, and after that she'd been in her cell. Her body was soon going to wake then, and they decided a struggle would be best to avoid.

During her cell hours, she was normal. Her breathing was regulated, and there were no signs of bodily distress. When she awoke, she still showed no signs of being poisoned.

Sasori was at a loss as to how this might've happened. He'd worked on the poison and antidote precautious manner, that is, until—he had come to a conclusion as to whose fault it was.

"Deidara, you're an_ idiot_!" Itachi glared menacingly at the blonde behind him. Suddenly the room felt 20 degrees colder. He didn't even try running; he just ducked and covered his head. Itachi wanted to hurt him, but refrained, and instead brushed some of the hair plastered to Keiichi's face behind her ears. He leaned down, and kissed her forehead, and then put a cold washcloth over it. She shivered at the unexpected chill, but the redness in her face reduced considerably.

The blonde was only slightly confused. He would've questioned it, but he didn't feel like being beat down right now.

"Deidara, watch over her until she wakes up. I was supposed to deploy for my next mission, but I came here when I received the message." Deidara didn't dare look Itachi in the eyes right now. He wasn't stupid; Itachi was probably the strongest of all the Akatsuki members. Crossing him would be like digging your own grave.

"Next time blondie, don't you dare interrupt me when I'm making poisons, or antidotes!" The blonde grumbled, but made no protest after that. Itachi tucked the blanket up under her arms, and then left. Even though he wanted to stay, he had to go. There had been recent sightings of the kitsune jinchuuriki outside Sunagakure, and leader had demanded he and Kisame depart, even though they had just gotten back from a mission.

* * *

The lights flickered for a few minutes, earning a small groan from the girl, and she moved to her side. Keiichi was still under the effect of the poison, but the harsh bio-agent was retreating slowly. Sasori felt partially responsible; and even though he'd never admit it, he was a little worried for her. He'd heard about her from the normally stoic Itachi, when he'd walked into Itachi's room to find the brunette pacing. He'd been reluctant at first to tell Sasori, but when he had, he seemed to calm considerably. Sasori wished he had known what Keiichi looked like, because he never would've attacked her had he known, least not with deadly poison, anyways.

Sasori's eyes shifted to Deidara who was impassively staring at the girl. Momentarily he pondered if he should be wary about leaving him alone with her, but shook it off. If he had to bet, he thought the blonde would hold a vendetta against the girl for attacking him, although, it would certainly be justified.

As the girl began to stir again, he looked at the clock. It had maybe been a half hour since the Uchiha left, and throughout it, the blonde just stood by the bed, and watched her. His face now though, was starting to show emotion; a mixture of guilt and anger. Strange, but Sasori had seen it before.

Keiichi was moving far too much for it to be normal, so he took her hand, and pressed two fingers to her wrist, her heart beat was fast, but not erratic in the slightest.

He noticed though, she was abnormally sweaty, especially for the type of poison, so he sat her up, hearing a grunt, and feeling the tips of her fingernails dig into him in protest. He moved a cold hand over her back, feeling the shirt plastered to it, warm and sticky, making him cringe. "Deidara, go get a clean shirt and a wet washcloth."

Deidara went over to the cabinet that resided above the sink, pulling out a plain white cotton shirt, and opened the one next to it, pulling out a small square of towel.

Sasori raised an eyebrow at his bad choice in clothing. "You do know that white clothing becomes transparent when wetted, do you not?" Deidara looked dumbly at him for a moment, then scowled, blushing, and chose a darker color. "Here," he shoved it into the older man's hands, and went to wet he washcloth.

He handed it to Sasori, who lifted the back of her shirt up, and ran the cold washcloth over her skin. She shrieked, and arched away from the contact, causing her to fall onto Sasori's chest. Nobody said anything, as she sat up, and rubbed her eyes. The sudden contact with the cold must've awoken her. "Ew…" Keiichi groaned when she moved, shuddering as the cloth clung to her every curve. Sasori wrapped an arm around her, to hold her still, and finished washing her back, despite all the squirming. He peeled the shirt off, leaving her upper half naked, and the blonde politely turned around, but not until_ after_ it was off. He couldn't tell if she was flushing purely from the fever, or it she was actually, genuinely, embarrassed. She hit him repeatedly with one hand, while covering her breasts with the other, and then grabbed the shirt he had. She was not having any of that, that much was clear.

Her hands were shaking, so she had a little difficulty putting the shirt on, especially over her head. When she got it on, she looked to the blonde. She recognized him, vaguely, but his name was floating around somewhere in her clouded mind. Who was he? Ah yes, her target of course. She threw back her covers. Sasori grumbled out, "You can't get up, you're too weak." She didn't believe him. She was a ninja, not a cripple.

Looking to the redhead, she got up, clutching his shoulder to keep her up, though it wasn't working very well, since her arm strength had diminished along with her health.

Sasori caught her before she fell to the floor, rolling his eyes. The blonde turned around, asking, "What's her deal? Is she retarded or something, hmm?" She turned her head slowly to him, and found the strength to glare. The blonde scoffed. Handsome or not, the blonde was annoying.

She tried hard to stand up straight, but she couldn't muster enough strength for that, and rested her head on Sasori's shoulder, and stood there, just breathing. Sasori sat her down on the bed, looking at her. "…Blondie… Come 'ere for a sec', 'kay?" Deidara moved to her, while Sasori moved out of his way. He stood in front of her, one eyebrow raised. "What?" She grinned, though unseen because of the hair that fell over her face as she leaned forward. She lunged forward, hugging his midsection, and rubbing her face against his stomach. When she looked up, both men could've sworn they saw a predatory smirk on her face, but it was quickly replaced with an innocent expression. She started rubbing his stomach with her face again. And then, one of her hands moved south.

The blonde paled. "S—Se—Sekuhara!!" Keiichi looked up to him, acting thoroughly confused. "Whaaaa? Are you gay? Dammit.... I always go for the gay guys!" Deidara visibly twitched at that. "NO! But I sure the hell don't want my ass being grabbed!" Keiichi got off him, and shrugged. "Sure, whatever you say man." Sasori didn't bother interfere, or even pay much attention to it. Keiichi seemed to be getting better, and that was all that really mattered. He did think the shade of red Deidara turned was fairly amusing though.

"And aside from that, I'm really the one who should be screaming 'Sekuhara'. Sasori was molesting me, and you were watching!"

While that wasn't entirely untrue, it's not like they were enjoying it anymore than she was. And how much was she enjoying that, huh? She hit him too, so they should be even.

* * *

Itachi shifted slightly on the tree branch where he was perched, reaching for the green colored canteen Kisame was holding. Kisame handed it to him, chewing. "Itachi, I'm starting to think Leader just wanted us out of headquarters. I don't think there was any sighting." Itachi took a swig of water, capping it, and handing it back to Kisame, closing his eyes. "I suppose you may be right." For the past hour they'd been sitting in a tree, concealing their chakra, while Itachi used his Sharingan. His eyes hurt, and his legs were cramping.

"What do you suppose we do?" Itachi sighed, putting his weapons away, and standing up. "Head closer to Sunagakure. It's unlikely we're going to find the kitsune jinchuuriki, and I'd like to pick up some of Kei's things." Kisame nodded, and grabbed his own items.

"All right then, but can we get some soba on the way back? I haven't eaten since this morning." Itachi nodded, and replied, "You're paying." Kisame chuckled, and shook his head. "Yeah, yeah.."

* * *

-

-

"Sekuhara" is a phrase that means 'sexual harassment'. I recently learned it from a manga called Silver Diamond, and thought it was too funny to pass up. This chapter's a little short, and I apologize for that. I hope to post the next chapter soon, but writing anything more than 1000 words is hard. I hope it's at least a satisfactory chapter though -.-; Especially since my mom just commented on how I spent 5 hours on the computer rather than doing school work...


	4. Chapter 4

All I have to say is that this chapter is crack, and fan service, and an all around sorry for being so retarded with updates. It's... fail, m'kay? I'm only partially serious when I see this is actually the next installment of this story. It is though, but it probably shouldn't count. Kami-sama, I should be killed for this. Really, strike me down, this is one the stupidest things I've ever written. Also. Finals are over, and I'm free to write for a little over a week! I'm going to try to challenge myself to one chapter per day. Hope I can!

-X o X o X o X o X o X o X o X o X o X-

Sasori ran a hand through his white hair, sighing, and shooed both of them out of the room. "Take her to Uchiha's room." He wasn't supposed to be violent around Keiichi, something he was already starting to show aversion to. Deidara was not helping him with this at all.

He had no problem with her, not exactly, but knew she'd start getting on his nerves.

Keiichi groaned as she was taken out of the room, rather agitated at how rough Deidara was being. His grip was hard, but that's not what was bothering her. She was still recovering from the damn poison, just how fast did he think she could go? She tripped on her feet as she walked, several times, and wasn't paid any heed, just yanked harder. Her feet were practically being dragged across the dirty floor, and she was done.

"Fucking slow down!" Deidara abruptly stopped, and glared. He let go of her bruising arm, and crossed his over his chest. "Too fast, pervert?" Still hunched over, she pulled an eyelid down in a childish manner, but knew there was chance her tongue would accidentally be bit off if he decided to yank her again, so it stayed in her mouth. She stood up straight, the boxers she was wearing dropped slightly. She was panting a bit, whether it was from anger or exhaustion, he didn't know.

"So what if I am a pervert? Huh? Whatcha gonna do about it?" Deidara's eye twitched, as his jaw clenched. "You aren't going to do anything, 'cause you're a chicken shit. A big freaking _uke_." Deidara's arms dropped, and so did his jaw. She was in for it.

* * *

Itachi held his chopsticks, staring at his noodles. He had not ordered this. He wasn't going to do anything about it though, he didn't need to draw attention to himself. He glared at the contents. This was ramen. Miso ramen, to be precise. He had ordered _yakisoba_. So, _what the fuck_? Sure, yakisoba was similar, but it was NOT the same!

"Switch bowls with me." Not a question. Kisame turned his head, his skin a normal human color, and looked into it. He shrugged and said, "Fine. Miso's not too bad." He swapped bowls, and started eating. Itachi did as well, somewhat unhappy. Soba wasn't yakisoba either, but he supposed it was better.

The owner's son looked over, having been watching them, and smiled. He thought, even though he wasn't into it himself, they made a cute couple. If had said it aloud though, the Heimlich would've been needed, and a medic would've had to be called for, but for a completely different reason.

Pein pinched the bridge of his nose, a vein pulsing on his forehead. The disastrous area that lay before him was too much. A broken light fixture, actually, several broken light fixtures, a shattered pot, soil all over, and what appeared to be blood. And lots of it. The dim lighting made it look worse, where it illuminated the dark liquid that merged with the soil, creating a thick ugly color.

Deidara and Keiichi sat on the floor, not too far from the puddle, chests heaving, and looking in opposite directions. Pein walked closer, and raised an eyebrow. No visual marks, however they were filthy so it was hard to tell. "So, what happened in here?" Keiichi looked up scowling, before a grin took over. "Pansy ass was trying to prove he wasn't uk-" "Because I'm _NOT_!" Keiichi had him pinned in less than a second; face down, glaring down at him. His head had thumped against the floor, the disgusting floor, which nobody should've been sitting on, and certainly shouldn't have been putting their face on. Her scowl returned.

"Don't you know it's rude to interrupt people?" She looked at Pein, and finished. "He tried proving he isn't uke. That worked so well for him." She reached behind herself, grabbing his butt again, and he squawked. Pein laughed lightly, though that in itself had Deidara slightly startled. He stiffened under the girl, which made her grin just a little wider.

"You know, Kisame said you were a real riot, but I had no idea." He moved closer, his shoes getting covered in the mess, which would definitely stain later. He grabbed her gently, pulling her off, a bit surprised at how easily she followed, instead expecting to meet at least a little resistance. She stood up straight, Pein holding her arm, and looked down at Deidara. She knew what happened next. "Sorry Blondie... for... calling you.. uke.." Pein's eyebrows were already raised, but if they could have gone farther up, they would have. Deidara sat up, looking up at his soiled hair, and then down at his clothes. He'd never be clean after this. _Never_. Deidara stood up, brushing himself off, though, to no avail. "Apology accepted, now, I'm going to take the world's longest shower, and you are going to stay the fuck away from me. For at least the rest of the day. Someone else is going to have to be her handler, Pein." Pein nodded curtly as Deidara exited, a little bow-legged, visibly disgusted by the whole situation.

* * *

Kakuzu gruffed up after looking at the floor Pein had just walked on, throwing a bloodied cloth into the sink, while Hidan sat on the table, arms crossed over his chest. Pein had managed to get a fair amount of the mixture on his shoes, and the bottom of his robe, and had drug it across Kakuzu's work space as he entered, and let's just say that might have not been all that amusing to him. Kakuzu had been careful not to make a mess while he fixed Hidan up, a task that proved difficult to complete with Hidan thrashing about. He'd 'gently' thumped him over the head when he did, and eventually Hidan got the idea that he wasn't supposed to do that.

"What do you want? It better be important, I'm trying to finish up here." Kakuzu said, pulling a thread rather tight, causing Hidan to yelp, and send a pointed glare towards the torturous man. "Deidara is irking his duties as Keiichi's supervisor, so now it's your job." Kakuzu, tugged the final stitch, and Hidan literally hissed at him, and hastily moved out of the room, hoping to avoid getting the duty passed onto himself.

Kakuzu pulled off his bloody gloves, throwing them into the infirmary sink. He'd already cleaned it once today; he didn't want to have to do a full wash down again. "I'm not going to be that twerp's baby-sitter, I already have one on my hands as it is!" Pein's nostrils flared just a tiny bit, but he smiled. "Is that so? Well, then this is your area of expertise. Keiichi is waiting just outside with Sasori, who's only waiting with her to be passed onto you." Kakuzu washed his arms, scrubbing actually, pissed off about this.

Pein smiled cheerfully as he too left the room, calling back, "Have fun!"

* * *

Keiichi pouted as she still sat in the filth, next to Sasori who refused to come within four feet of her. "Jeez, do you have a stick up your butt, or something?" Sasori didn't even growl, just stared passively at the wall opposite to the door.

Keiichi curled up into herself, pulling her legs to her chest, and buried her face in her arms. She bit the inside of her cheeks, looking at the wall too. "...It's not fair, y'know?" Sasori glanced to her, waiting for her to continue. "It's not fair. Yeah, life isn't fair, and all that crap, but it's just...it's not okay. I see all those happy people, with family and friends, and nice homes. And me, I can't have a normal family, not for long. I don't even have a home any more. I can't... I.." Keiichi sniffled a bit, wiping at her eyes. "And I freaking can't even make a goddamn friend." Sasori turned to Keiichi, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Friends don't matter, anyways. They're just hindrance to a ninja, Uchiha-san." Keiichi smiled, and Sasori chuckled. "You have that disgusting mess smeared on your face now." She scrunched up her nose, lips curling slightly.

Kakuzu exited the infirmary, snarling, especially at the sniveling girl on the floor. Sasori moved to him, well aware of the moods both the girl and the criminal were in, and leaned up to say something. Sasori was a considerable amount shorter than him, so this proved difficult, however, he still was able to meet the man's ear. "Don't take your anger out on her, she's already vulnerable." Kakuzu raised an eyebrow as Sasori left.

"Get up. We're going to the training field. I have to watch you, but I need to get some time in today." Keiichi stood up, with a fairly red nose, and puffy eyes. She was no longer crying, but you could definitely tell she was recently. He noticed she obviously loved making messes. "You're repulsive. We'll go to the onsen afterwards, and get you cleaned up." Keiichi scowled hearing she have to wait who knows how long until she could get this... concoction of almost nauseating fluids and unknown solids covering her. Kakuzu started walking, and Keiichi begrudgingly followed. This, she was sure, was going to be fun.

* * *

Kisame picked up his pack, getting ready to go, handing another to Itachi. "I bet she's waiting for you," he told Itachi, not caring who heard. Itachi nearly snorted. "Yeah, I bet." The owner's son listened as he served a couple of people on the end of the bar closest to the two S-Rank ninjas. "You know, I think this rendezvous was actually rather pleasant this time. It was short, and nobody unexpectedly interrupted." Itachi nodded, putting his bag over his shoulder. "Yes, well, I can't imagine it will be all that pleasant when we get back." Kisame shrugged, fixing Itachi's pack, which refused to move any further up onto his shoulder. "Well, at least there's our room." Itachi softened, and Kisame grinned. The owner's son blushed, almost sure of what would ensue.

Keiichi groaned for the umpteenth time during his sparring session in the field, while he demolished all boulders in his space. Kakuzu stopped, breathing heavily. He walked towards Keiichi, grabbing a towel he'd placed near her earlier. She sat glaring at the floor, still curled up, back against a dirt wall. "We can go now. There's only one, by the way." Keiichi groaned yet again, blushing. She didn't want to see this guy naked. She didn't want him to see _her_ naked. Oh joy.

Kakuzu led her to the onsen, and showed her the shower outside of it, where he instructed her to rinse off first. "You obviously can't go in like that," he'd said. She clenched her teeth under the heavily pressured stream of water. Kakuzu had at some point gotten a hose and started spraying her with it. She spluttered as he aimed it in her face, rendering her unable to breath properly. After Kakuzu cleaned himself as well, they headed inside.

"You can undress in the room to your right, there's an entrance to the onsen in there." She sneered, heading in there. "Don't take too long, or I'll come in after you."

Keiichi started undressing, peeling the soaking wet clothes from her person. She nearly suffocated herself trying to get it over her head though. She heard an almost inaudible whoosh of air as he entered the main area of the onsen, setting his clothes outside the door. Keiichi finished undressing, and grabbed a towel to wrap around herself. There was no point in grabbing her clothes, as she couldn't put them back on anyways.

She entered the onsen, and immediately climbed in the water, as far away from the old man as possible. Really, she had no interest in seeing him naked. Well, maybe a little, but he was like... _Old_. She still had standards, one of which was that the guy had to be her age, with a maximum of ten years older. What was Kakuzu, like four hundred or something? He still looked kind of good, rugged, but handsome. Old. He was old, she reminded herself, _just_ old.

Keiichi sunk into the water a bit, adjusting her towel. She was thankful she wasn't forced to take it off. In the onsens she'd been to before, most did not allow towels or even wash cloths to go into the water, as it was considered unclean. It's not that she wasn't proud of her body, or uncomfortable with it, but she was ninja, and she honestly didn't like feeling exposed. She heard a small splash and Kakuzu lowered himself. "So what do you do here, aside from train?" Kakuzu shrugged, leaning on the edge of another part of the bath, so Keiichi slunk down a bit. "Not much, now that I think about it."

"Oh," Keiichi eyebrows furrowed, as she quirked her lips. "Well, do you guys have like, team building stuff?" Kakuzu snorted. "No. That crap is bullshit."

"Well, I think you guys should. Like, a game night or something." Kakuzu shook his head, turning back around. "Fuck that. Now, just shut up, you're giving me a headache."

"It really is important. Without team building, teammates will turn on each other."

"I don't fucking know what's in your experience, I really don't, but I don't care either. I told you to shut up, so do it." Keiichi crossed her arms over her chest indignantly, huffing. "...I'm calling you 'Kuzu'." Kakuzu turned back towards her, one eyebrow raised. "Scrap, or waste." As she told him, she wrote the kanjis with her pointer finger midair. Kakuzu growled. She smirked. "Yes, actually, Kuzu-_chan_." 'Chan', a term so widely known, and can be so endearing, but is not in this case. Referring to someone your own age or older as 'chan' is disrespectful. Which showed that you thought lowly of them. Something basically already said with the nickname 'Kuzu.'

All Kakuzu could really do was grin and bear it. Well, minus the grinning, on his part anyways.

She knew they already didn't like her, but she also knew she'd at least have Sasori and Kisame, and of course, Itachi, her eldest brother. So she went on her merry way, dripping towel clutching her every curve. Kakuzu turned his attention to her, and got out the water. "What you doing?" Keiichi grinned, flashing her teeth. "Taking your clothes. Kthnxbai!" The last part she'd said in English. She'd heard that phrase on the Internet when she'd spent time in the western lands, where technology thrived. She dashed through the locker room, snatching a white robe initialed "K", in dark blue. She then started heading back in the direction they came from. Kakuzu bound out of the water, running after her, a small towel wrapped around his waist.

"Get back here Uchiha!" Keiichi made it to the main hallways of the base, nearly running into Zetsu. She'd consider trying to get him to help, but she wasn't ignorant. Zetsu is a cannibal. Bath time with Kakuzu would be the last time anybody saw her.

Keiichi ran into Itachi's room, locking the door, and hiding behind the blinds in the closet. The door clicked as the lock turned, and she bit her lip. Through the blinds she saw the door was still open, and whoever it was had long hair, and was nor Kakuzu, nor Itachi. Deidara? Deidara turned, softly clicking the door back into place, locking the door as she had done a moment before. The blonde made his way to the drawer, pulling out a magazine, and stood there, flipping through the pages. The room was dimly lit, and Keiichi vaguely wondered how he could see at all, when she could barely make out the lines of his face. She activated her Sharingan, and blushed, seeing him lick his lips, and then partially pull his bottom lip into his mouth with his teeth. She had a good idea of what he might be looking at now. And in her brother's room. Oh good God. It was her _brother's. _She scrunched up her face, but continued watching because it was about all she could do. If she moved Deidara might hear her, and take action. How, she didn't know, but she figured he would.

Keiichi bit her lip, wincing slightly. She didn't want to watch this. Well, that was a partial lie, seeing as how this guy was pretty attractive. Regardless, he would think of it as an invasion of privacy, even though he probably didn't have permission to be in Itachi's room. She sat down as quietly as she could, getting into a comfortable position. This would be a while. Or not. She had no idea. She didn't think it was appropriate to have any idea, to know how long he'd last. But she was about to find out, wasn't she?

Deidara walked over to flick the lights on, holding the magazine in hand. She could see the back pages of it, and she blushed. It was exactly what she thought it was. She held her nose, feeling a nosebleed coming on. This was her first day awake in a house full of guys, and one girl, and she had already come across one of them doing something like _this_. She had no idea how much longer she'd have to stay, or how much more of these kinds of things she'd be witnessing, but she knew if she got caught there would be no next time. If Deidara didn't kill her, her brother would. The blonde moved to the bed, and opened the nightstand drawer. Shuffling through it, he searched for what Keiichi assumed was probably some form of lubricant, or tissues.

Keiichi licked her lips, dry from staying still, trying to be quiet. Deidara did the same, face flushed. He seemed almost as embarrassed as Keiichi was, and he didn't even know she was there.

Deidara laid down on the bed, fidgeting with his pants, before sort of giving up, looking at the magazine. Keiichi could only imagine the girls in provocative poses all over the pages. She couldn't help but feel jealous. Who wouldn't? She'd only just met him, sure, but she was offended he didn't find _her _sexy enough to do… _this_ to.

Deidara dazedly looked the magazine, trailing one hand down to the half-unzipped zipper.

Keiichi felt bad. She shouldn't be watching him. She _couldn't_ watch him, and feel right with herself, no matter how attractive he was, and no matter how much she _wanted_ to.

He fumbled with the zipper, before finally unzipping it all the way, sighing. He set the magazine down, lifting his hips, and pulling his pants down and off his legs. He rolled them up, setting them on the bed next to him, and picked his magazine up again. He swallowed, blush still adorning his cheeks. Hers too.

Keiichi stood up, reaching for the handle of the closet door. She grabbed it, swallowing. She had to. _Before_ he did anything. Didn't she?


	5. Chapter 5

He fumbled with the zipper, before finally unzipping it all the way, sighing. He set the magazine down, lifting his hips, and pulling his pants down and off his legs. He rolled them up, setting them on the bed next to him, and picked his magazine up again. He swallowed, blush still adorning his cheeks. Hers too.

Keiichi stood up, reaching for the handle of the closet door. She grabbed it, swallowing. She had to. _Before_ he did anything. Didn't she?

But then the bedroom door swung open, and Deidara was glaring at the intruder. He didn't seem surprised, or even embarrassed. He certainly was mad though, jaw visible clenching.

"What do you want Tobi?" Tobi shrugged, walking into the room, clearly ignoring the current situation and Deidara's obvious agitation. Deidara rolled his eyes, and set the magazine down.

"Again,_ what is it_?" Tobi turned, sitting on the bed opposite of him. Tobi whispered, "Tobi is wondering about that girl…" Deidara sighed. "Itachi worries about her. Do you think that will be a problem, senpai?"

Deidara hesitated, but shook his head. Tobi cocked his head slightly, leaning back.

"Honestly, no. He's always worried about her, it's not been a problem yet." Tobi nodded, seeming satisfied with his answer. He moved closer, picking up the magazine Deidara had set next to him.

"Hm… Senpai, should you be looking at these things with Keiichi in the room?" Deidara pinched the bridge of his nose, grabbing the magazine and smacking Tobi over the head with it.

"The lack of privacy in the base is quite disturbing, but I've gotten so used to it that I wouldn't care if she's fucking sitting in front of me. She can _watch_ if she wants, it doesn't bother me."

Keiichi's jaw dropped. The bastard _knew_.

Deidara smirked. "What are you doing in there anyways?"

Keiichi narrowed her eyes, cracking the door and mumbling, "Hiding from Kakuzu…kind of stole his clothes…" Deidara guffawed. Tobi fell off the bed laughing. She had single-handedly caused more trouble in one week—one day alone, than another other member had in the past. Of course, every member was a top-rate, talented ninja, selected based on their special skills and/or bloodline traits. Every member had to be intelligent, and disciplined.

"You're _kidding_." Keiichi peeked her head out of the door, shaking it lightly. "No…" This only sent Deidara into a fit, and literally had Tobi rolled on the floor with laughter.

Her face flushed as she gripped the door tightly. "Now he's going to kill me." She gave a pitiful look, which Deidara caught through his one open eye. "I'm going to be killed be a naked greedy old geezer…"

They heard a loud crash from the other room, followed by Pein swearing up a storm.

Deidara stood, putting his pants back on, and looking around for something else. "Okay, listen Kei….Keiichi?" Keiichi nodded, "Yeah?"

"You're gonna pay him off. For the amount of his clothes, maybe twice that, pay for the trouble too. He's greedy alright, just like you said."

Keiichi crawled out of the closet, sitting in front of it. "But I really don't have any money…" Deidara groaned. "I know. Listen, I'll front you for it, but you owe me, got it?"

Tobi chirped up, "Tobi will give you money! Tobi will give Keiichi—" Deidara interrupted him, glaring. "Under no circumstances should you trust Tobi. Ever."

Keiichi thinks if he wasn't wearing the mask, she probably wouldn't seen him glaring.

"Tobi was just offering money for nothing in return…"

Keiichi shook her head. "Thank you Tobi, but I could never take anybody's money as a hand out."

"Deidara…what were you thinking of?"

Dediara smirked, pulling his wallet out. "Be my servant for two weeks. Laundry, cleaning, etcetera, etcetera."

Keiichi smiled, nodding in agreement. "Okay, deal!"

* * *

Pein seemed no more and no less pissed at her or Deidara, thankfully. He was doing his own thing, but she couldn't quite figure out exactly what that was.

Zetsu kept eyeing her from the corner, occasionally whispering to himself.

Keiichi wasn't sure what to make of this ragtag organization, but she figured they couldn't be half bad if they weren't killing her, considering she had just about set out to make them miserable, even if it hadn't been that long.

She didn't know where the others were, but she figured it didn't matter. She scanned the room again, almost as if she expected them to materialize into the room.

Nobody did materialize.

The three seemed content doing their own things, ignoring Keiichi. She was content watching them do their own things until somebody came to get her, or sitting muddling through her own thoughts.

The lighting was low, almost as if the room was candle lit. It made it just that much harder to discern what Pein was doing. Keiichi almost convinced herself she didn't care.

She saw a sliver of metal protruding from Peins robes, and as it disappeared again, she watched as he jumped slightly in his seat, cursing.

Keiichi briefly wondered if he was repairing a ripped seam in his robes. She didn't spend too much time thinking about it, before moving closer to him.

"I can fix that." He sneered. "So can I."

She was tempted to roll her eyes. Instead, she held her hand out.

"Let me." Pein reluctantly handed her the needle, and when she had a firm grasp on it, she examined the poorly stitched fabric. Instead of ripping it out like she should have, she used the same loop stitch he had been using, then doubled over using a hidden stitch down the length of the fabric. She tied it off, and stretched the area against the length of the fabric, giving approval to the non-budging seam.

She bit the excess thread off, handing the needle back to Pein.

"My okaa-san used to sew yukatas to sell. She taught me how, but she made sure my stitching was perfect, or I would have to start over."

She smiled to herself, standing up. "Ah… not Mikoto-san…not my birth mother, the woman who raised me."

Pein stared at her until she felt slightly uncomfortable and started walking away back to her seat.

"Thanks."

Keiichi smiled wider. She was glad to help.

* * *

Sasori cursed loudly, almost yelled. Deidara flinched, ducking from the flying severed synthetic limbs, _mostly_ synthetic limbs.

When he ran out of limbs as ammo, he started throwing miscellaneous vials of what Deidara only hoped were non-lethal, non-corrosive chemicals. He found out his hopes were in fact just hopes when one of the vials that had narrowly missed his head ended up shattered on the floor, smoking and bubbling as the area around it sunk further in.

He called for help when Sasori found his explosives and had nearly destroyed all of Deidara's workspace.

"Pein!" Nothing.

"Tobi!" No response.

Sasori was closing in.

"Ko—KEIICHI!"

Keiichi barely heard her muffled name being called, but she came as quickly as she could when she recognized it as the blonde Deidara's voice.

She came just in time to see Sasori's white-haired self holding a large bottle of something, and beginning to overtake Deidara.

Keiichi jumped on the white-haired man, pulling his arms back. Deidara ran as quickly as he could to the other side of the room. Sasori easily removed her, and as soon as he did, Keiichi gave a look that promised she would cry, even though she had no intention of genuinely crying.

Sasori grumbled, yanking her by the arm out of the room.

"Sorry 'Sori…" Keiichi gave him puppy dog eyes when he stopped to look at her. He stared for a moment, loosening his grip.

"What happened?" Sasori's lip twitched, eyebrows furrowing. Keiichi realized she probably really did just save Deidara's life.

"Why aren't you in Itachi's room? He'll be back soon, you know." Keiichi didn't. She smiled, wrapping her free arm over his shoulder in a half-hug.

"He is?" She squeezed him tighter as if he was her current Itachi-substitute. Sasori's face would've reddened if it could've. He was thankful it couldn't.

"…What are you doing?" Keiichi giggled, pulling her arm from his slackened grip and moving it over his other shoulder.

"That is the best news I've heard in a while!" Keiichi leaned forward, kissing him on his cheek.

"Try not to kill Deidara. My brother's hard—well his _work_ to bring him here would be wasted, and I can't imagine he'd be too happy about that."

Sasori rolled his eyes, pushing her down the hallway. Keiichi nearly toppled over when he shoved at her upperback.

"Enough of that. Go back to the main room until Itachi arrives." Sasori's face relaxed as he pointed towards the end of the hall.

Keiichi grinned.

"Sure thing!" Sasori watched her walk—he would've laughed if anybody called _that_ walking. The damn woman was _sauntering_ down the hall like she owned the place.

Sasori would be damned if she didn't.


End file.
